For a while there, it looked like the hitherto unstoppable force of Lightning Bolt had become a victim of entropy, the chaos of this bass-and-drums duo finally turning inwards, with 2009’s Earthly Delights finding the band hitting the limits of their self-imposed restrictions. Fantasy Empire finds them recording in a studio for the first time, and the shift in process might have done them some good: it’s a sharper, more dynamic record that removes just enough grime without sacrificing their infamous energy – trying to figure out the drumming on Over The River And Through The Trees could give your average percussionist nightmares. Even if the template has become familiar, Fantasy Empire finds new life in the Lightning Bolt sound.